1. Field of the Disclosed Embodiments
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for configuring a particularized portable data transfer device in a form of a Mobile Communication Gateway Unit (MCGU) to provide broad spectrum data acquisition worldwide, including through satellite communication backhauls, and data warehousing that is not data rate transfer, or otherwise available bandwidth, constrained for on-call data upload to fleets of vehicles, including aircraft.
2. Related Art
Modern aircraft host extensive suites of external communication interfaces to support differing levels of voice and data exchange (1) when airborne, (2) when on the ground taxiing to and from terminal locations, and (3) when parked at particular terminal locations (including maintenance hangars/stations). Among the broad spectrum of wireless data communications services available to modern aircraft are HF, VHF, and various satellite communication links including, but not limited to, satellite communication links supported by OneWeb® Ltd., Iridium® Communications, Inc. or Inmarsat® PLC.
With a proliferation in a need for accommodating passenger wireless communications in a competitive travel market, certain systems have been adapted to provide wireless data communication links for passenger comfort, connectivity and entertainment. In instances, separate communication systems, communication control systems and communication system components have been added to the extensive suites of external and internal communication interfaces and routers available on a particular aircraft.
Schemes to support broad capability coverage for passenger direct communication often adapt the increasingly ubiquitous nature of wireless access points, which may be operating, for example, according to Wi-Fi communication protocols and/or standards, to facilitate short range high volume communication between aircraft communication components and data services available at, or accessible through, terminal locations/installations. Communications are facilitated through a mix of fixed (ground) wireless RF solutions, including, but not limited to domestic and international cellular, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, potentially WiGIG, and other like communication links, which may be varyingly made available for voice and/or data communication between a fixed location, including an aircraft passenger or maintenance terminal, and an aircraft parked in a particular location with respect to the aircraft passenger or maintenance terminal.
Regardless of the multiplicity of fixed and/or mobile communication nodes with which a particular aircraft, even one parked at a terminal, may be able to link for facilitating all types of communications, there are certain real-world constraints that limit an ability to meet all of the expanding voice and data communication requirements that are presented in particular scenarios in real time. Satellite time is comparatively expensive. While fixed ground locations tend to be available in large enough numbers to act as gap fillers, and are comparatively cheaper to operate for data flow and data exchange, all of the respective wireless fixed voice and/or data communication links tend to be limited (according to frequency, propagation and other like limits) in their capacity to transmit bulk data to and from aircraft. Available bandwidth is often a limiting constraint in prioritizing which of any number of particular communication requirements are fulfilled at any given time. Further, it is well understood to those of skill in the art that a particular proportion of available fixed sites, for example, on an aircraft passenger terminal, may be physically blocked by line of sight constraints, as well as being unreachable due to overall power output restrictions that may be mandated for communication deconfliction and interference mitigation, among other objectives.
Secure transfer of information to vehicles, particularly the transfer of large files of bulk data including but not limited to streamed video, is often constrained. The constraints may include the maximum available data rate of the transfer to servers within the vehicles. The constraints may further include the competition that arises in dedicating uninterrupted communications to the conduct of such a transfer to the exclusion or near exclusion of all other potentially interfering communication requirements. The data rate transfer difficulties are often exacerbated by the need to encrypt bulk data, such as may be required for the secure transfer of In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) data files or Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) date files. These types of files may be considered proprietary to various content providers who do not want their bulk data files to be pirated in the process of providing the content to vehicle (aircraft) operators for upload in the vehicles (aircraft) they operate.
Based on the above constraints, it is not enough to have bulk data available at, for example, an aircraft terminal ready for transmission to the aircraft. Rather, particular placement of the aircraft and uninterrupted communications over a comparatively lengthy time frame may be necessary to effect the transmission of the bulk data to the aircraft. Conversely, a window to effect such bulk data transfer may be strictly limited by a need to promote other passenger, aircrew and other communication needs even while turning an aircraft around at the terminal between inflight legs.